February 26, 2019
A+ News
In this edition:
  • Longfellow Awarded National Grant for Great Stories Club
  • 2020 Vision College and Career Week: March 11-15
  • Black History Oratorical Fest
  • BHS Varsity Boys Soccer - NCS Champions
  • Richard Rothstein, March 5, 4:30pm
  • Superintendent Search Input Opportunities
  • Berkeley Public Schools Fund Luncheon
  • BSEP Planning & Oversight Committee, School Board Meeting, and more!
Longfellow Awarded National Grant for Great Stories Club
Thanks to a grant from the American Library Association, a focus group of 8th graders at Longfellow will soon launch a weekly lunchtime book club designed to explore questions of race, equity, identity, history, institutional change and social justice.

Longfellow’s club – named the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Book Club – will begin March 5 and focus on the theme of “Finding Your Voice.” The gatherings will center on discussions of three books:
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
A dynamic team of educators in our school district and partners from the Berkeley Public Library will be facilitating the discussions, including:

Longfellow Teacher-Librarian Melanie Ford
Restorative Justice Counselor Aaron Lechuga
African American Success Project Manager Kamar O’Guinn
District Library Coordinator Becca Todd
Berkeley Public Library Teen Librarian Andrea Mullarkey

Up to 70 such grants were available this year nationwide, with a focus on youth from underserved populations.
Berkeley's 2020 Vision: Equity in Education Presents
College and Career Awareness Week 2019: March 15-19
The  2020 Vision College & Career Awareness Week  is a week-long series of events, March 11-15, 2019, designed to engage Berkeley’s students in college and career related activities. The goal is to create several opportunities for students to “seize their future” by participating, exploring, and making a plan for next steps as they imagine and learn about college and career possibilities. Please look out for what's happening at your child(ren)'s school and encourage them to participate.
Annual Black History Oratorical Fest Encourages Students
to Speak and Inspire
BUSD’s Oratorical Fest Committee announces the 2019 Black History Oratorical Fest Competition: Tuesday, March 26 from 5:00-8:30pm.

BUSD’s Office of Family Engagement and Equity is partnering with parents, school staff and the community to host this competition designed to give Berkeley students an opportunity to shine through public speaking. Students recite original or published speeches, poems, or skits, that relate to the theme: Gifts & Talents, Used for Purpose .

Information about participation and competition are on the district webpage .
Varsity Boys Soccer Team: North Coast Section Champs; Big Game Tonight at Jacket Stadium, 6pm
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Soccer team on their 4-1 victory over De La Salle to WIN the NCS Championship! 

The team will now compete in the NorCal CIF Championship Tournament as the  #3 seed in Northern California: first round game will be at BHS Jacket Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6pm against #6 seed Montgomery High School of Santa Rosa .

Admission for the CIF NorCal game:
General (adults) $9
Students, Senior, Children with Adult $5
Richard Rothstein to Speak at Berkeley High School: March 5 at 4:30pm
Please mark your calendars for the fourth and final speaking event in the Superintendent’s Speaker Series with Richard Rothstein on March 5 at 4:30pm at Berkeley High School in the Little Theater.

Richard Rothstein, author and Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute , will join Dr. Evans to look at how government actions, practices and policies interacted historically to create a powerful system of residential segregation in every metropolitan area in the U.S., and how African American students in our nation's public schools were particularly disadvantaged. Among other insights, he'll help the audience think about constitutionally required laws and new legal frameworks that can be used to redress the segregation of neighborhoods and schools.
MARCH 5th SPEAKER EVENT: Richard Rothstein, Author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
Opportunities to Provide Your Input on Superintendent Search
The School Board is asking for your input to assist the consultants who are leading the search for the next BUSD Superintendent. Your input will be used to develop a profile of desired qualities and characteristics in the next superintendent. 

A few opportunities to provide input include a facilitated community discussion, an online survey, and high school student focus groups.

Superintendent Search Community Input Session: March 7, 2019 at 7:00pm, School Board Room

Survey:
Save the Date for the Berkeley Public Schools Fund Luncheon, April 19
The Schools Fund Spring Luncheon theme is "Pathways to the Future," honoring Wyn Skeels, BUSD Career Technical Education Program Supervisor , for his work in developing educational pathways at Berkeley High for careers connected to Bay Area industries and trades; and  Michael McLaughlin, BUSD preschool teacher, for his work in helping set a solid foundation for our youngest students. 

UC Chancellor Carol Christ, Keynote Speaker
Friday, April 19, 11:00 am ­- 1:30 pm
Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley

Come out to the UC Berkeley campus, hear Chancellor Christ speak, and let's recognize these great educators and support our public schools!

You can purchase  individual tickets or  sponsor a table.
Upcoming Events & Meetings
Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP) Planning & Oversight Committee
Feb. 26, 2019 at 7:00pm
2020 Bonar Street, Room 126

The P&O Committee, mandated by the BSEP Measure and comprised of representatives from
every school, meets regularly to:
  • Review the implementation of the many aspects of the BSEP Measure, ranging from Class Size Reduction to Music & the Arts, from Technology to Professional Development for Teachers, and much more;
  • Ensure that BSEP funds are spent in compliance with the Measure;
  • Make annual recommendations to the School Board for the use of BSEP dollars.
The BSEP P&O meetings are open to the public and include an opportunity for public comment. More information is available on the BSEP webpage .
School Board Meetings
March 13, 7:30pm

All regular Board Meetings are held in the Board Room, 1231 Addison St., and are streamed live and archived on the BUSD YouTube Channel .

School board meeting agendas/materials are posted at least 72 hours before meetings on the School Board Meeting Information page of our website.
Next Year's School Calendar
2019-20 School Year Calendar Released
The first day of school for the 2019-20 school year in the Berkeley Unified School District will be Monday, August 26, 2019.

The full academic school year calendar is posted on the district calendar webpage.
Berkeley Unified School District | 2020 Bonar Street | 510-644-8764 | www.berkeleyschools.net